


Kintsugi

by SimplyKorra



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Past Tauradonna
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-03-02 05:52:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13311861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimplyKorra/pseuds/SimplyKorra
Summary: Beacon has fallen and the aftermath of the brutal attack has left scars on everyone.For Blake, it's only brought up old wounds and fears she's already been running from.Every instinct tells her to run, to protect those she cares about she has to run.But she can't.Canon Divergence AU - if Blake stayed with Yang after the Fall of Beacon.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Do you hear that buzzing sound? That's the sound of these angsty bees consuming me and forcing me to write this. 
> 
> This fic is quite different than anything I've written in the RWBY fandom before, but in a lot of ways is me getting back to my old roots of writing. It's a slower paced, emotionally driven story with a good amount of flashbacks and, hopefully, something that people will enjoy. 
> 
> I want to give the usual shoutout to my wonderful beta LightInside who constantly helps me with this writing stuff and makes my life so much easier (and easier to read). 
> 
> This fic probably won't be super long - around 15-20 chapters is what I'd say right now, but things change. I plan on updating once a week to give myself time to get things written and edited properly. 
> 
> Anyway, enough out of me. Here's chapter one :)

**_Kintsugi_  also known as Kintsukuroi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, a method similar to the maki-e technique. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise**

* * *

 

The pain was starting to overwhelm her. Once the adrenaline wore off and the shock had dissipated – everything started to hurt again. She knew it was bad, but no one really seemed to notice with all the chaos around her.

Blake didn’t even know where they were going – anywhere but where they were. Somehow, even dozens of miles away from Beacon and surrounded by friends, teachers and armed security, Blake was still scared. Scared that he might burst through the top of this airship with his dark, red blade and mask-covered face and take her away.

That, or take away what mattered the most to her.

She watched Yang as she lay motionless on the board they’d strapped her to. An Atlesian military medic was hovered over her and from where Blake was laying she could see that the blood had seeped through Yang’s bandages. She’d wanted to stay close, but they’d needed space and Doctor Oobleck convinced her to let them help.

Through it all, Blake managed to keep a hand on her side and hide her own wound. It was easy at first to cover up the pain – but now that things had slowed down, the fact that she’d been stabbed was suddenly the only thing she could focus on.

“Blake?” A familiar voice grabbed her attention and she turned to see Velvet kneeling down next to her. “Y—you’re hurt?” Velvet looked every bit as scared as Blake felt. Her tall, soft ears were hanging down the back of her head as she reached out and touched Blake’s hand. “You’ve been hurt.” She repeated and Blake knew she couldn’t hide it anymore. “Excuse me!” Velvet spoke up. Blake tried to stop her but her body was too tired to move. “She’s got a very deep wound in her side here.”

The medic came over and knelt down next to her. Blake glanced back to where he’d left Yang lying on the ground unattended – her arm still missing and her eyes still closed. She watched for a moment before she realized someone was talking to her.

“Can you hear me?” The voice said and she looked up at the medic and nodded. “I’m going to examine your wound.” Again, she nodded, but the pain and exhaustion and fear were starting to overwhelm her. As she felt part of her top be moved aside, she ignored the blinding pain as best she could and looked back to Yang.

Someone was next to her, sitting with her and talking to her – Blake’s vision was blurring so she couldn’t tell who it was. All she saw was Yang’s mass of blonde hair that she wanted to reach out and touch.

As her eyes started to feel heavy, Blake couldn’t help but wonder if she was dying. It hurt so badly and she was so tired – it felt like it might be easier to give into the sleep that was consuming her.

Her mind wandered to thoughts of her team. Weiss and Ruby weren’t here – they’d never come back from trying to find Jaune and Pyrrha before the airship arrived. She hoped they were okay. They were together, so she knew they’d take care of each other.

If she really was dying, guilt struck her that she might never get to see her parents again. She’d never get the chance to apologize to them for all the horrible things she’d said and done – even though they were just trying to protect her.

“Blake,” Velvet said and when a soft hand touched her cheek she knew she was crying. The deeper she fell into the haze of darkness around her, the less and less the pain hurt. When she closed her eyes, she saw Yang’s lifeless body floating above her. The blood in the air and the sound of Adam’s blade as it cut through her.

Someone was calling her name, but she ignored it – far too content on the idea that maybe if she fell asleep, she’d wake up and this would all have been nothing more than a nightmare.

* * *

_There weren’t many things Blake hated more than the cold. Growing up in Menagerie, she was used to a much more tropical climate – that plus being so packed in with people on such a small island, it was almost expected to walk around in a bikini most days._

_She missed the warm weather. In fact, there were a lot of things she missed about her old home. The weather, the food, the comfy beds and a roof over her head that wasn’t a tent._

_Those were the comforts of a person who didn’t fight for the Faunus. At least, that’s what she told herself to make it through the worst nights. That every hardship was just her earning a better future for her people._

_That didn’t make the chill of the air in the middle of the night any less biting - or the loneliness._

_She’d been alone for the last two days. Adam was off on a mission – one she hadn’t been allowed to accompany him on._

_So here she sat, in his tent waiting for him to come back. It was a bit strange what life around the camp was like without him here. Mostly because nobody ever really approached her. Granted, she was the daughter of two former members who’d quit and their exit wasn’t exactly peaceful._

_Adam was the one who’d allowed her to come back – a point he was quick to remind her of whenever she pushed too hard._

_Sheathing her blade, Blake sat it down on the crate she was using as a table and blew out the candle beside her. It was still fairly light outside with the full moon in the sky and the varying tents around her still lit up with people. She could hear crowds talking and laughing, the smell of freshly cooked food lingered in the air from the night’s dinner. One of the grunts brought her a plate – it was overcooked and had way too much salt but she thanked him and smiled, only to be mostly ignored._

_This wasn’t the White Fang she’d grown up in, which was to be expected under new leadership. Still, it didn’t feel like a group of people pushing towards a common goal, it felt like an army and one she had no real part in. She was Adam’s…something – a place that hadn’t been determined yet._

_If these last few days were any indication, Blake knew she had no place here without him._

_Suddenly, the tent flap opened and Blake turned to see Adam stepping inside. Immediately, she noticed the blood on his clothes and the cut in the sleeve of his shirt._

_“Adam, you’re back.” She said, walking over to him and reaching out to his damaged clothes._

_He jerked his arm away and stepped around her. “Don’t, you’ll get blood on you.”_

_Blake stayed back and watched him move towards a small footlocker and open it. “Are you hurt?” She asked, taking only one step towards him._

_“No,” he stood up with a new shirt in hand and started to unbutton the one he was wearing. “It’s not my blood.”_

_That didn’t really make her feel any better. “Trouble with the mission?”_

_As his shirt came off, Blake’s eyes traced the faint scars across his back. Adam’s rise through the White Fang was certainly had its share of resistance. Being such a close companion of Sienna Khan as she overthrew the old leadership was met with many detractors. Some of which thought they could handle a brash young Faunus with a hot head._

_Every one of them underestimated him and every one of them met the same fate._

_“The mission went off without a hitch – we just…picked up a stray and brought her to camp.”_

_Taking a breath, Blake stepped up behind him and put her hand on his back. He froze, the new shirt he was putting on had barely made it past his shoulders. “Is this her blood?”_

_He looked back at her. “No, it’s the blood of the humans who attacked her.”_

_“You saved her?”_

_Adam turned around. “Of course I did. They were taunting her and belittling her. Treating her the way all humans treat us. So, we stepped in and helped her. She said she didn’t have anywhere to go so we brought her here.”_

_He could be so passionate about his fight. Blake admired how much he cared and how hard he fought for his people. She was here because she wanted to do what he did – to be a part of his work._

_To be a part of his future._

_“You’re a hero to our people.” She said and watched him smile a toothy grin and suddenly the shirt he was putting on was removed and dropped to the floor. “I—I want to be more involved in the things you do here. I want to help.”_

_She let the words linger and wondered if he’d even listen to her. When she’d come back with him, she expected their partnership to continue as it had when both of them were just runners. Now that he was in a position of power, she’d been relegated to staying behind more often than not – but that wasn’t enough for her._

_“It’s dangerous out there, Blake.”_

_“I know,” she said in a soft voice. As he turned around, her hand still lingered on his body. “I just want to help you.”_

_Adam sighed and Blake felt his hand move up against her neck and his thumb started to stroke her jaw. “You don’t have the field training that most of my squad does - so you must remember you listen to me at_ all _times.” He kept his voice so soft and calm. He tried to tilt her head up to look at him, she resisted a bit – mostly playful, but he added a bit more pressure._

_His grip on her jaw was tight and tense, she stared up at him and into the mask he wore. It was intimidating, but he opened up to her more than anyone else. She trusted him._

_He closed the short distance between them and placed his lips on her cheek before moving them to her ear. “I made you a promise when we left, that I’d keep you safe and I will. I will give you the world you want so badly, but none of this can be accomplished without me. Do you understand?”_

_She tried to turn away from him, feeling a bit uncomfortable by the sudden intimacy, but he wouldn’t let her go. His hand slid down her jaw just a bit and he forced her head to the side to expose more of her neck to him._

_“Adam,” she tried, but he sighed against her skin and put his other hand on her back._

_“I missed you,” he whispered and Blake begged herself to let those words comfort her. She wanted this, she wanted him. She’d told herself that over and over again – she just imagined it’d be more comfortable than this._

_It didn’t help that his grip was so tight on her neck._

_“Adam, hold on.” She finally took a step back and tugged out of his grip. She could still feel the pressure where his hand had been on her. “I’m sorry.”_

_She watched as he closed the distance between them again, this time removing his mask and showing her those eyes she rarely saw. He didn’t touch her, but the space between them was nearly absent as she felt the back of her legs touch the table behind her. “Don’t you trust me?”_

_“O—of course I do. I’m sorry, I was just…nervous.”_

_“You know I’d never hurt you.” Again, the spots on her neck where he’d touched her before burned a little. “I’ll keep you safe, Blake. I’ll give you everything. All I ask for in return is a little affection.”_

_She wanted to tell him how happy she was to hear that, but the darkness and the isolation was getting to her. It was just the two of them and he knew everyone here and she had no one. He was all she had and that scared her a little._

_Unfortunately, she wasn’t as good at hiding emotions as he was._

_“You’re upset?” He said, with a hint of annoyance._

_“No,” she defended quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was irritate him. “Just a little tired I think – it’s late and I was up waiting for you.” She said with a soft laugh in the back of her throat. She wanted to tell him she was scared, but she didn’t want to push anymore._

_His hand was in her hair again, she closed her eyes and pleaded with her nerves to go away. He guided her head to the side and kissed where he’d grabbed her before. “Let’s go to bed then, my darling.”_

* * *

When the darkness finally subsided, Blake opened her eyes as her body was being jostled around. She was on something soft, softer than the floor she’d passed out on – but the view above her was still the same.

They were still on the airship.

Reaching down to her wound, she felt something strange under her fingertips and lifted her head to look. It was covered in a bandage and hurt significantly less. Lying her head back down, she took a moment to recompose herself and try to remember everything that was going on.

“We’ve touched down!” A voice said and Blake sat up, feeling a jolt of pain in her side, and watched as Yang was the first one removed from the airship.

“You’re awake?” Jumping at the sudden voice behind her, Blake looked to her right and saw Velvet sitting on the floor next to her.

She reached out, unable to control herself, and grabbed Velvet by the arm. “We have to go with her.”

Velvet nodded. “Of course, but perhaps we should have someone check on you—“

“No, Yang is really hurt and I – we need to make sure she’s okay.”

“All right,” Velvet stood up and slowly helped Blake up as well.

Her legs felt like jelly as she stood, but she managed to find her balance against Velvet. Blake couldn’t imagine why Velvet was still here helping her – the rest of her team was already off the airship but she was still here.

Together, they stepped off and started following after the large group that had moved towards the hospital.

Blake picked up the pace as she remembered that Yang might not have anyone around her she knew. The airship was filled with faces she didn’t recognize and with Weiss and her sister not around, it wouldn’t be good for Yang to not see a familiar face given everything that had happened.

So, she ran and Velvet called for her to slow down but she couldn’t. There were sounds of fear and cries of pain and relief all around her – but she blocked them out because none of those stories she passed was her own. She had to find Yang, she had to be by Yang’s side because that was her job. Because she knew that if things were reversed, Yang would be there for her.

But wasn’t that the difference?

She stopped in her tracks as she realized that if it were the other way around – this never would have happened. Yang didn’t have a crazy egomaniac stalking her that ruined her life and promised to destroy everything she loved.

Yang hadn’t made those same mistakes Blake did.

“Blake,” Velvet had caught up with her as she stood, frozen in the middle of all the chaos around her. She turned around to see Velvet looking at her with worry. “Are you okay?”

“I…I have to go.”

“Blake!” Another voice cried out her name and she turned as Sun was sprinting towards her. “Sorry,” he pulled her into a hug. She tensed under his touch. None of the physical contact she’d had today was good so her body immediately expected this one to be bad as well. He must have noticed, because he let her go. “I lost you when we landed – I was helping Neptune get people off the ship.”

“Blake,” Velvet touched her arm softly and drew her attention. “I need to go find Coco and my team – make sure they’re okay. Are you…going to be alright? Do you need me to stay?”

Velvet was such a sweetheart. Blake felt more tears coming as she shook her head. “No, you go. Thank you, Velvet.”

With a nod and a smile, Velvet squeezed Blake’s arm before turning and racing off to find her own team. As Blake watched her go, she realized how much everyone at Beacon saw their teams as their family.

Families that Adam had tried to take away from people.

 _Starting with her_.

Blake felt her feet moving backwards before she’d even made up her mind to run. “I have to go.”

“What?” Sun was suddenly in front of her. “Go where?”

“Anywhere but here.” She looked him in the eyes and saw the concern in them. “I can’t be here. He’ll come back and he’ll…”

“Blake? Who will come back? What’s going on?”

“Tell her I’m sorry,” she could only imagine Yang’s face when she realized Blake wasn’t there – when she realized she was alone again. Blake could only hope Ruby and Weiss would show up and take care of her.

Blake had already been running by the time Sun reacted and reached out to try and stop her. He grabbed nothing but one of her shadows and by the time he realized it – she was already gone.

Adam would find her again. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she was safe and that she could move on with her life – he was always there to prove her wrong.

It took someone as wonderful as Yang to break her walls down and let her feel happy again but of course Adam found a way to ruin it. Now he knew who Yang was and he would use that against her – she couldn’t hide how important Yang was from him anymore. Not after jumping in front of him to save her. Not after begging him not to hurt her.

Nobody exploited weaknesses better than Adam Taurus, and now he knew her biggest one.

Eventually, Blake found herself near the docking bay again, but far enough away that all the commotion of arriving refugees from Beacon could barely be heard.

Finally finding a little isolation, Blake found a wooden post to sit next to and slid down it to the hard, concrete floor beneath her. It all happened so fast. Just a few hours earlier she’d been sitting at a café with Weiss, ready to watch more of the tournament. Now her school was gone, her safety was taken from her and the team she’d grown to love so much was dismantled.

Then there was Yang. She couldn’t stop seeing that vision of Yang toppling above her, arm missing and eyes closed. The way Yang had screamed when Adam hurt her – all red eyes and fire behind her.

Only to be cut down by that monster. A monster she’d brought into Yang’s life.

As badly as she wanted to be with Yang, it would be safer if she was nowhere near her – or any of them. Adam had said it himself, he was going to take away everything she loved.

The tears continued to fall as another ship pulled into the port. Blake knew this was her escape – it didn’t matter where she went, only that she was far enough away that they couldn’t find her.

Standing up, Blake raced towards the airship as people were practically sprinting off of it. It was a rescue vessel so she imagined it’d be going back to pick up more people. That would take her back to Beacon, but she could manage from there and find way out of Vale and…to somewhere else. She could figure that out later.

As she shuffled through the crowd of unfamiliar faces running in the opposite direction, Blake eventually reached the platform to board the ship, but there was a man there with a guard uniform on who she knew wouldn’t let her on.

After all, who tries to _return_ to a place that was literally crumbling to the ground?

“I—I need on this ship.”

He quirked a brow at her. “Not a chance, kid. We’re evacuating people _off_ Beacon. Go find someplace safe and wait to contact your family.”

“No, you don’t understand. I can’t be here. I _need_ on this ship. I have money,” she started to dig through the pockets of her pants. “It’s not much, but I just need to hide out and get off this—“

Something ended up in her hand that stopped her – stopped everything.

Pulling the item out of her pocket, she looked at the laser pointer she didn’t even know was there and felt a rush of emotion wash over her. She’d already cried and screamed and suffered so much tonight but seeing this one simple thing was the most intense feeling of calm she’d ever experienced.

It was honestly one of the silliest gestures she’d ever been a part of, but that day Yang drew her into the library with this stupid laser pointer was the day Blake realized she’d found someone who actually cared. Not someone who wanted anything from her or expected her to return the favor – just someone who wanted her to be okay.

Yang didn’t even know that Blake had kept this stupid laser pointer but she did – because that day mattered to her and she wanted something to remember it by.

Even though they were partners, Yang didn’t have to do that. She didn’t have to reach out and open up and _try_. That was what separated Yang so much from nearly everyone else in Blake’s life. She tried, even when Blake aggressively told her not to.

That’s what mattered to Blake. That’s why she trusted Yang – because Yang earned it and deserved it and…

“I’m sorry,” she said. Though she wasn’t sure who she was talking to.

It didn’t matter, because a second later she was turned around and sprinting back to where they’d taken Yang.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the wonderful response to chapter one. It really means a lot to see people interested in this crazy idea and hopefully I can continue to push these chapters out for you. 
> 
> Once again, a major shoutout to my wonderful beta LightInside for all the help on this chapter and making sure everything reads smoothly. My writing is so much more relaxing with their help.

Blake had never been to Patch before. In fact, she didn’t even know it existed until she met Yang and Ruby. It was funny to her that this place could exist and hold two people she cared about so deeply in it, yet for most of her life she knew nothing of it.

Getting from where they’d been to here was hard, to say the least. Yang had nearly shut down entirely after waking up without an arm. At first it was shock and a lot of screaming and crying. She hardly even registered that her father was there – let alone Blake.

Then came the questions and the begging and pleading for them to give her her arm back. Something they could not do and something that took Yang hours to accept. After that, it was silence, a scary silence that seemed to hang over everyone like a dark cloud.

If she were being honest, Blake couldn’t help but wonder if she’d made a mistake in choosing to stay with Yang. At the time, she thought she’d be able to help her. To provide some kind of calm and stability through all of this. Now though, as she sat helpless in the car while Taiyang drove them to their childhood home, Blake felt a lot more like an outcast then she had even during her first days at Beacon.

She wished Weiss were here. She wished that Weiss’ father hadn’t come for her and torn her away because she could sure use the help right now.

If you’d told Blake a few years earlier that she’d have held a broken down, sobbing Weiss Schnee in her arms as the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company begged her to take care of their friends, Blake would have called you a fool.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly how it went. Weiss didn’t want to leave. In fact, she was terrified and convinced she would never see any of them again. Blake told her as convincingly as she could that they would come back to her, but it was hard to make Weiss believe it when she barely did herself.

Sitting in this car with this family on this island she’d never been to before only proved that Blake knew nothing about the future.

This place reminded her of Menagerie a little bit – at least it felt like what Menagerie could be if it weren’t so overcrowded. There were trees for miles, as far as she could see. And the skies were the brightest color blue, untainted by tall buildings and airships coming and going.

As they reached the home, Blake was surprised that somehow, Qrow had beaten them there. He was standing on the front porch, tucking a flask into his pocket before moving down the steps as Tai parked.

Once again, the silence was quite deafening and Blake really didn’t know if she should be here. Taiyang had offered to let her come and knew how much Ruby and Yang meant to her. He’d been on a team before so he know how those bonds developed – but still, Blake couldn’t help but feel like she was overstepping.

It was even worse when Tai and Qrow broke the silence. “I’ll get her.” Tai said but Qrow was already opening the door.

“Relax, you take Yang and get her settled – I can handle Ruby.”

“Qrow,” Tai tried as Blake climbed out of the vehicle and watched uncomfortably.

“You can’t do it all on your own, Tai. I’m not going to drop her.”

Taiyang stood still, glaring at the other man. “I did it on my own for years.”

Qrow didn’t seem to react to the words much, instead just moving past Tai and leaning into the car. A moment later, he had Ruby in his arms and was carrying her back into the home. It was strange that they’d traveled all this way and Ruby had been unconscious the entire time.

The doctors had told them that she would be fine – she just needed to wake up. They couldn’t really explain what had happened to her, though Qrow seemed to know more than he let on and Blake easily picked up on this every time they would ask him if he saw anything when he found her.

Weiss spoke of some glowing light she saw and the screams she heard from the top of the tower. Blake could only imagine what had happened up there, but whatever it was had taken Pyrrha Nikos’ life and nearly took Ruby’s as well.

If she were being honest, Blake hadn’t really processed everything that had been taken from them during the fall. She’d been too focused on Yang and Ruby, then trying to comfort Weiss as she was dragged home by her father.

Now, she was suddenly on an island she’d never heard of before – with a family she’d never met and she didn’t even know where she would be sleeping tonight.

“Yang? We’re home.” Tai said to his daughter and Blake watched through the window of the car as Yang turned to look at her dad before nodding and opening the door.

Blake noticed the bandage as she climbed out – it was hard not to. To see someone without their arm was quite jarring and though Blake had been there when it was removed, she still kept thinking it would simply be a dream and Yang would suddenly have both arms and none of this would have happened.

“I’ll uh…” Blake started speaking before she was even sure where her sentence was going – but Tai looked back at her and she had to do something. “I’ll get the things out of the car.”

Tai nodded and Blake smiled as best she could before he led Yang into the house and she retreated to the trunk to collect their things.

There was a bag with a big red hospital logo on it that was filled with the things Yang would need to treat her wound and keep it covered. The other bags were things Taiyang had brought for his girls. Mostly it was just clothes and Blake was thankful for that because she hadn’t had time to retrieve any of her things from their dorm when Beacon fell so all of her outfits and belongings were trapped in the school. Nothing sentimental, but everything practical and that was why she was wearing a Signal Academy t-shirt that belonged to Yang and was far too big for her.

Still, it was comfy and it smelled nice and she was grateful for Taiyang offering it to her.

The only other thing in the trunk were the girls’ weapons and Blake quickly picked up Gambol Shroud and tucked it into the medical bag. It didn’t seem likely she’d have any use for it out here – but she felt safer with it nearby.

Blake threw one bag over her shoulder before grabbing the other and shutting the trunk door and making her way up the stairs. She stopped at the door, now closed in front of her and wondered if she should knock.

Probably not – they knew she was here since they, you know, drove her here. But this wasn’t her home and what if she walked in on something she wasn’t supposed to?

She couldn’t imagine what that would be and chided herself for such foolishness. She was just nervous and overthinking and doing all those things Yang told her she did too much.

So, with a deep breath, she opened the door and was met with an empty living room. The inside of the house was lovely and clean. Every pillow on the couch was arranged properly, all the shoes were stacked up nicely underneath of the coat rack by the door. The floors were clean and the home smelled of lemon and fresh linen.

Blake knew now where Yang got her knack for cleaning – something that had been unexpected during their time together. Especially considering how big of a disaster Ruby could be with…everything.

Ruby Rose was the kind of person who would come into a room and throw all of her clothes on the floor before the door closed behind her.

With Yang on her heels picking everything up.

“You can put those down right there, I’ll deal with them.” It was Taiyang pointing at the spot on the floor next to her as he re-entered the room.

She nodded and did as requested before standing awkwardly in the doorway waiting for him to tell her what to do next. She had no idea – this wasn’t her home and she still wasn’t sure if she was even welcome here. Blake had made such a rash decision to come with them and it was a remarkably unprepared one at that.

“You’re more than welcome to stay here,” he said and Blake looked up as he smiled at her before picking up the bags. “We have plenty of beds and both the girls have told me about you. I’m…I’m sure Yang would appreciate having her teammate around.”

Considering that Yang hadn’t said one word to her since the fall, she doubted his words just a little – but she wasn’t about to turn his offer down.

“Th—thank you sir.” She smiled back at him and he nodded.

“The girls room is upstairs and on the right. Yang…Yang wanted to stay in the guest room so the bed next to Ruby is open.” That seemed odd. It was very unlike Yang to actively avoid her sister. Especially considering the condition her sister was currently in. Her expression must have given her thoughts away. “Confused me too.” He laughed softly but there was very little humor in it. She couldn’t blame him. Blake couldn’t even imagine the stress he was dealing with right now.

Remaining in the doorway, Blake watched Taiyang make his way up the stairs before stopping halfway and turning back to her.

“I don’t mean to impose but…Yang’s bandage could use a change and she’d probably be more comfortable with you doing it than me. If you don’t mind?”

Blake answered quickly. “I’d be happy to.”

Even as she spoke, the nerves started to pollute her body like a virus.

“Great, I’ll leave the bandages in the bathroom. If she’s up for it, maybe she’ll let you wash her hair and clean up a little. I’m sure it’s bothering her.”

_ Oh boy… _

* * *

Of the many thing Blake had wrestled with over the course of the last few days, her feelings for Yang were near the top of the list. It was easy to say that Yang was her partner and that Yang was her friend and that this explained why Blake was willing to follow Yang wherever she went.

All of those things were true, but they didn’t really tell the entire story. No, the entire story was told in the simpler moments when Yang wasn’t paying attention and Blake found herself staring and watching Yang like she was some kind of foreign creature this world had never seen before.

Blake had never really questioned her own sexuality before. She’d never really had a reason too. For as long as she could remember, Adam was the only person she’d ever felt any sort of attraction to in that way.

That was, until the first time she walked in on Yang without a shirt on.

It certainly wasn’t anything lewd. Yang had been changing and Blake had slipped in to grab a book she’d forgotten and was met with broad shoulders and defined back muscles and naturally it was the one time Yang had her hair tied up after a shower and Blake simply wasn’t prepared for what came over her.

She left the room as quietly as she entered – thankful for years of learning how to move without detection. Still, even though Yang never knew Blake saw her that day, it was something Blake would never forget.

So naturally, as Blake was once again questioning everything – she walked upstairs and into Yang’s room to help change her bandage, only to be met with those same back muscles again.

Thankfully, Yang was dressed this time – wearing an orange tanktop, but she had her head down and hair falling over her face and Blake swore she was flexing. She had to be.

Not wanting to go unnoticed, Blake tapped on the door with her knuckle and Yang’s head snapped up.

“Hi,” she said with a soft smile as she moved further into the room.

Yang swallowed thickly and Blake noticed her eyes were red - not semblance red, but from crying. The urge to walk over and hug her was strong but she resisted. Blake had no idea what the boundaries were between them right now. She just knew she didn’t want to make Yang uncomfortable.

“You’ve been wearing that shirt for two days.” Yang said as she pointed at her own Signal Academy t-shirt.

Blake looked down at the logo on the front and let out a sigh. “All my clothes are still back at Beacon.”

Yang nodded. “Right,” she then moved towards a dresser along the wall to her right and pulled it open. “I have a lot of clothes in there, stuff from my Signal days that will probably fit you.”

When those lilac eyes looked at her, Blake smiled as brightly as she could. “Thank you. I’ll look over it after we get your bandage changed?” She formed it in the shape of a question, if only to make it feel like Yang had a choice or a say in the matter.

Unfortunately, it didn’t help to lift Yang’s spirits. She grabbed at her upper arm and held it for a moment before sitting down on her bed.

As the bed creaked under Yang’s weight, Blake reached for a bandage. When she looked back, Yang still hadn’t started removing the old bandage. She was just sitting there and her hand was shaking.

Setting the bag down she was carrying, Blake took three long strides to Yang’s side and knelt down next to her. “Easy,” she whispered, moving Yang’s hand away. “I—I’ll help, okay? I can do this part.”

“It’s gross,” Yang said, her voice barely audible but Blake had better hearing than most.

Not to mention that the shame was easy to read in her eyes. Blake’s heart shattered at Yang’s words. They made her wish she’d never met Yang in the first place and had never brought Adam Taurus into Yang’s life. Then this girl who deserved nothing but happiness wouldn’t be sitting here dealing with all of this.

“Hey,” Blake started quietly. “Remember that day the cafeteria at Beacon served up that really gross meat. It was old and smelled weird but you didn’t notice cause you were so hungry from working out and you ate like…three helpings of it?” Yang frowned and Blake smiled. “You got really sick and I spent the next morning in the bathroom with you holding your hair.” Yang’s expression softened a bit. “If I can handle that, I can handle anything.” Though she still couldn’t quite earn a smile from Yang, she did manage to get a nod of approval and Blake retrieved the bag and carried it over.

She’d watched the nurses at the hospital do these countless times and even asked one for a lesson in how to properly dress and clean the wound. Eventually, it would heal well enough that they wouldn’t need to do this, but for now Blake was glad to be able to help.

Yang wouldn’t look at her as she did it. In fact, Yang stared pretty intensely at the floor as Blake unraveled the bandage to reveal the red, angry scar.

Blake took a moment to check over everything and make sure it didn’t look any worse than it had the last time she saw it. She was no medical professional, but it looked as good as could be expected. What bothered her more was Yang’s reaction and how she seemed to shut off whenever anyone was near it.

Deciding to try something, Blake reached out and placed her thumb on the scar as softly as she could. It was rough to touch, but didn’t feel disgusting or wrong in any way. It was a scar, yes – but it was still a part of Yang and that made it beautiful.

Unfortunately, Yang did not feel the same way and she jerked her shoulder back. “Don’t,” she growled and Blake leaned away from her.

“I—I’m sorry.” She just wanted Yang to feel more comfortable about it.

“Just…bandage it up, please. I’d like to take a nap.”

Blake didn’t argue or press any further. She was here now, and had no plans of leaving – so tomorrow would be another day to try and help.

Neither of them spoke as Blake applied the cream they’d given them before wrapping Yang’s wound up as she’d been taught to. Once she was finished, Yang thanked her but still wouldn’t actually look at her and Blake left the room as Yang laid down on the bed with her back to the door.

She knew she heard Yang crying as she left the room but also knew there was nothing she could say or do right now to help. All she could do was be there for her, as scary as that was for Blake to stay when she knew the threats out there, but the thought of leaving Yang alone was scarier than anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn’t until dark that Blake allowed herself to cry.

With everything that had been going on. The frenzy of Yang’s injury and Ruby’s situation – then Weiss being taken away and Blake deciding to come with Yang back here to Patch, she hadn’t had time to truly grieve what had happened.

Pyrrha Nikos had died. According to Yang’s uncle, she’d been murdered.

Death was nothing new to Blake. Sienna Khan’s methods in the White Fang led to more than a few casualties. Truth be told, Blake had seen many people die right in front of her. Watched as the light went out of their eyes and those last few breaths slipped away. It was traumatic and she was thankful that it stayed that way.

She couldn’t imagine being the kind of person who didn’t react at the loss of a life.

Blake was certain Pyrrha wasn’t the only person taken that day – but she was the one that hurt the most. Of course, Ruby had lost her dear friend Penny, and though she and Blake weren’t close and the circumstances around that were…incredibly unique, she could only imagine how Ruby must have felt.

She thought of her friends – Jaune, Nora and Ren and wondered how they were coping. She hadn’t seen them through all the commotion. Ren and Nora were ushered onto another ship and Ruby and Weiss never came back with Jaune or Pyrrha.

The wonderful group of friends that felt like family was gone now – torn apart by hate and violence – the things she tried to run away from in the first place.

Maybe it was her fault? Maybe those were just part of her life. Maybe those were things she’d never be able to escape.

Maybe…

“ _NO!”_

A scream from the other room had Blake jumping out of bed and on her feet in an instant. She glanced over at Ruby sleeping next to her, still not awake yet but Qrow swore it would happen soon.

Kneeling down, slightly dizzy from getting up so quickly, Blake pulled Gambol Shroud out from under the bed and made her way out of the room towards the scream.

When she reached the hallway, she noticed a light coming from the room Yang was staying in. That’s where the scream had come from – if Adam had found her…if he’d come for Yang...for her.

She was ready to sprint when her ears picked up the sounds of crying and a second voice in that room.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. It was just a nightmare.”

_Taiyang_.

Blake turned her ears a bit to listen in, but stood still in the hallway with one of Yang’s t-shirt’s on and a weapon in hand. She wasn’t even wearing pants.

Yang’s erratic breathing was heartbreaking – whatever her nightmare had been, it had really shaken her. Blake wished she’s been faster. Wished she’d been the one who made it to the bedroom first so she could comfort her.

Apparently, no amount of training could make you faster than a parent when their child is in need.

Listening to Yang cry was hard. It was one of the worst sounds in all of Remnant. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first time Blake had heard it. In fact, Yang was known to cry fairly easily. Every emotion Yang had was heightened and intense. She didn’t just feel things, she fought and struggled to not feel things.

Ruby had always thought it had to do with her semblance. Every emotion was tripled for her. The highs were extremely high – so much so that they could be contagious. When Yang was happy, she wouldn’t stop until everyone around her was too.

That also meant every low was like rock bottom. Anger, sadness, regret – even the slightest hint of these emotions, could drag Yang down for days if she let them. It was a constant battle for her to keep her emotions balanced and Blake didn’t blame her for not having a filter tonight.

Realizing she was still just standing in the hallway and eavesdropping on things she had no business in, she decided to return to her room and try and go back to sleep.

She’d only been here one day and already she was feeling fairly useless. Yang didn’t seem all that interested in her being around and she was mostly just another mouth for Taiyang to feed. Though he’d never complain about it, she couldn’t help but feel like a burden.

Her eyes settled on Ruby as she made her way back into the room. It’d be easier if Ruby was awake – even though she was younger than all of them, Ruby had a way of putting things into perspective that nobody else could. She saw the world differently than anyone Blake had been around. Everything had a good side in Ruby’s eyes. Everything had reason and purpose and could _be_ good.

Right now, Blake needed someone to give her a reason to stay – because as she laid back down and tried to block out the sounds of Yang crying across the hall, she felt pretty useless.

* * *

_Bark! Bark! Bark!_

Opening one eye, Blake was blinded by the light from outside as the barking in the hallway faded away with Zwei running by. All the things that were left behind at Beacon but that dog somehow managed to find its way home. Not that Blake wanted anything bad to happen to it, but still she’d hoped the trauma of Beacon might somber him up a bit.

Still, he was as good as any alarm clock and though Blake hadn’t gotten nearly as much sleep as she needed – she’d gotten enough to hopefully get her through another day.

She glanced over at Ruby in the bed next to her as she sat up. Her eyes were still closed – she was still neatly tucked into her bed and looking as peaceful as ever. According to Qrow, they expected her to wake up at some point today and it couldn’t come soon enough.

Climbing out of bed, Blake walked over to where Ruby was sleeping and reached down to run a hand through her leader’s hair. Ruby had grown up a lot from the first day Blake met her. She’d taken charge of the team and helped Blake find a purpose and direction for the things she wanted.

Ruby was a lot like her. She just wanted to help people, even if she didn’t know exactly what that meant. She’d been as good for Blake as she was for the rest of them, especially Weiss.

It hurt to think about Weiss simply because Blake had no idea what she might be going through right now. Given how scared she was about going away with her father, it certainly wasn’t anything good.

Blake couldn’t help but feel terrible for judging Weiss so suddenly, as hard as it had been growing up in this world as a Faunus – she’d always had a very loving home life. One she greedily threw away. One that Weiss probably couldn’t relate to at all.

The rest of her morning went off without much excitement. The sun rose and the house started to move around a little. Taiyang kept himself busy – cooking food that no one asked for and cleaning messes that weren’t really there. She could tell it was his way of coping and she could also tell that he was glad to have his girls back, even in such circumstances.

Blake ate a little of the eggs he cooked, though they weren’t her favorite – but she wanted to make him feel like he was doing something for someone.

As she stabbed her fork into another bite, he sat down across from her with his own plate. “I know Ruby’s unconscious, but I can’t tell you how many mornings were like this. Me, awake, just waiting for them to get up and hoping their breakfast wouldn’t get cold.”

This made Blake smile. “My dad was always the cook too. Mom never really learned it so she’d just sit around and watch him work.”

“I can tell by the way you’re picking at those eggs that you’re about as big a fan of my cooking as the girls are.” He winked at her and Blake winced a little – she didn’t realize she was being so obvious.

“They’re fine.”

“No, they’re not,” he chuckled. “I try, but Yang’s the only one that took her mother’s lessons to heart.”

Blake’s brow raised. “Raven?” When Tai’s eyes went wide, Blake knew she’d messed up. That was _not_ the mother he was talking about. “Summer, sorry…I—I’m sorry.”

Tai still seemed a bit shocked, but his expression softened and he shook his head. “No need to apologize, I’m just…surprised you know Raven. Yang doesn’t really talk about her much. She…she must trust you.”

Thinking back to the day Blake learned about who Raven was, that moment they shared in the library, was a place Blake visited often.

She thought of the laser pointer sitting on the bedside table in Yang and Ruby’s room where she was sleeping.

Yang never talked much about Raven, yet she talked to Blake about her just so Blake would stop running herself into the ground and enjoy herself for a night. Yang shared her deepest secret with her just because she didn’t like to see Blake upset.

_Goodness do I love that girl._

“She only told me a little…she told me that Raven abandoned her.”

Taiyang sighed softly and nodded. “Raven was…is…a very complicated woman.”

In a lot of ways, Blake could say the same about Yang. Complicated, complex, unique and unpredictable – but the idea of comparing Yang to someone who would abandon their own child felt wrong.

Yang was complicated, but in so many wonderful ways.

Blake just hoped this whole situation wouldn’t take the good away from her.

* * *

The days moved slow here, but Blake didn’t mind so much. She enjoyed the quiet and the calm. No places to be, no classes to attend or training to prepare for. Even if she knew that she’d have to find a spot to exercise eventually, it was nice to relax.

She worried about her friends, mostly about Weiss who was out of reach with the CTT down - Blake wished she could at least talk to Weiss while she was away, but there was no way.

It had only been a week since the fall and she desperately missed the way things used to be. Which was ironic considering how hard she’d tried to avoid attachment to anyone when she first arrived a Beacon

Still, the one person she wanted to open up to her more than anyone wasn’t even a continent away. She was in a bedroom down the hall staring out the window waiting for something that Blake knew wasn’t coming.

Which was why Blake was here now, holding a towel and a bottle of shampoo as she made her way to that bedroom.

Yang hadn’t washed her hair (or herself) since they’d come home and though she didn’t stink or even look bad – Blake wondered if it was even possible for Yang to look bad but also she was a bit biased – she knew that a good wash would make Yang feel better.

If anything, cleaning her hair would be nice.

Her bare feet felt nice on the cold, wooden floors as she stopped in front of Yang’s door that was slightly ajar and knocked on it. There was no response, but she didn’t really wait for one – instead opening it just enough to peek inside and make sure Yang wasn’t asleep.

She wasn’t, mostly because Blake knew Yang was struggling enough to sleep at night, let alone during the day.

Just as a bird flew out of the tree outside, Yang looked away from the window and back at her, her hair matching the bright yellow sunflower that rested on the bedside table. She looked very tired and Blake wished she could do something to help that. Eventually sleep would overtake the fear and Yang would manage to get some real rest, but for Yang that probably felt impossible right now.

Blake wanted to be able to fix everything wrong with Yang, but she couldn’t – no one could.

Instead, she just had to find a starting point and get to work.

“Thought a hair wash might make you feel better?” She said as she held up the bottle and towel with the best smile she could find.

Yang eyed her for a moment before looking away and nodding. “Is it really that bad?” She asked as she reached up and ran a hand through her bright blonde locks.

“No, but I know you and I know it’s probably driving you nuts.”

She pulled the hand out of her hair, with a bit of struggle, and nodded. “I can take care of it.” She said, but didn’t seem overly confident.

If she were being honest, Blake didn’t want Yang to take care of it on her own. Blake wanted to help, to feel like she was here for a reason other than eating Taiyang’s food and sleeping on Yang’s old bed.

“I’m happy to help. I—I want to help.”

Yang looked at her again, a hint of defiance in those violet eyes. “I can do it.” She said in a strained voice.

Blake simply nodded. “I know you can, but I’m bored and I…I want to spend time with you.”

With a silent nod, Yang pushed the covers down and climbed out of bed.

It was such a dichotomy of who Yang used to be, so perky and ready to take on life head first - to this girl now, who looked like she wanted to lie in bed for as long as the world would let her. Every movement was slow, without purpose and her expression was empty. It was sad, but at the same time it drove Blake to want to bring that old fire out of her.

In a lot of ways, it felt like a role reversal from when they first met. When Blake was the one riddled with demons and Yang was there to shine light into her life.

Blake knew all about misery – it was an old friend and one that haunted her even now. More so now, perhaps, than before, because her past miseries had hurt someone she cared about so deeply.

Yang shuffled into the bathroom with Blake on her heels and stopped at the doorway to look back. She was still so damned broad shouldered and imposing. Even as broken as she currently was, Yang had a presence unlike anyone else Blake had ever met.

“Do you mind if I take this off?” She asked, pulling at her tank top.

Blake felt like she had a hail sized ball in her throat. “No…I mean…I’ve seen…I have…”

For the first time in what felt like forever, Yang smiled. “I have a bra on.”

“Right,” Blake nodded, hoping her cheeks weren’t as red as they felt. “Whatever makes you comfortable.”

With a nod, Yang turned away again and this time hooked the strap of her tanktop with her arm and pulled it over her head. Blake watched with intense fascination at the fluid movement Yang made – so effortless as she removed the shirt. Her hair bounced across her bare back before she tossed the orange tanktop on the ground.

Her bra was black (not that Blake was taking notes) and looked tight against her skin.

Blake realized after a while that she hadn’t actually followed Yang in and quickly did so before shutting the door behind her. She sat the bottle of shampoo down on the counter and handed Yang the towel to help cover her…front before turning on the tub and watching the water pour in like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

There was a guilt seeping into her stomach that she couldn’t quite explain. It all just seemed so...selfish. Here was Yang, missing an arm from something that was entirely Blake’s fault – she was miserable and lost and all Blake could think about was how attractive Yang was.

It was selfish and stupid and she hated herself for it.

She knew she needed to stop and be the strong shoulder for Yang to lean on. That’s why she was here. Not for her own unrequited desires.

Once the tub was filled up an appropriate amount, Yang climbed in, careful to keep her bandaged arm out of the water and Blake picked up a cup on the counter.

“You don’t put your toothbrushes or anything in this, do you?” Yang shook her head and Blake knelt down behind her.

The task seemed simple enough in theory but actually being here proved quite difficult because Yang had _so much_ hair. It cascaded down her back and over the back of the tub in waves of soft gold. It was so well cared for that Blake was a little worried to attempt it herself.

She certainly took well enough care of her own hair, but not like Yang. Even Weiss was blown away by how high maintenance Yang’s hair care routine was and Blake was pretty sure Weiss counted how many times she brushed her own hair.

“How’s the water?” Blake asked as she filled the cup and prepared to pour it over Yang’s head.

“It’s fine.”

With a nod, Blake started pouring water onto Yang’s head and running her hands through her hair.

It took a _long_ time to wet her hair down enough to actually wash it. Not that Blake minded – the quiet of the bathroom mixed with the steady sound of water sloshing around was nice. This was the kind of simple moment Blake loved back at Beacon. When there were no classes to worry about or dust thieves to stop.

Eventually, she soaked Yang’s hair enough that she could properly wash it. She uncapped the shampoo bottle and pooled a good amount of the white liquid into her hand. It smelled like vanilla and almonds – it smelled like Yang.

As she pressed her fingers into Yang’s scalp, Blake lost her hands in the mass of blonde hair and couldn’t help but smile. Yang’s hair was so vibrant and large, sometimes it seemed almost comical – but being this close to it, literally consumed by it, it was rather comforting.

Yang let out a sigh of what Blake could only hope was content as she continued to wash. The massive amount of shampoo she’d gathered on the first go around wasn’t going to be enough to properly clean it. They’d need to go for round two, but for now she just let her fingers do their work and hoped Yang was taking some kind of comfort.

“So,” Blake wasn’t sure why she was trying to start a conversation. Yang had been mostly quiet ever since they were in the hospital – but now seemed like as good a time as any to start talking again. “What was it like growing up here?”

A shrug. “Boring,” she said but didn’t seem all that upset about it. “A good place for a kid though. A lot of places to go outside and run. Ruby and I used to roughhouse in the front yard all the time.”

Blake smiled. “Just like on the floor of our room at Beacon.”

“Yeah, but back then she wasn’t as fast and I wasn’t as big and we didn’t break as much.”

“I don’t think Weiss will ever forgive you two for breaking that flower pot she bought in Vale.”

Yang laughed just enough to make Blake feel like she’d won some kind of prize. “I bought her a new one.”

“True, but the designs weren’t the same and you know she knew.”

“I do,” she nodded as Blake picked up the cup to fill with water and rinse. “But she didn’t say anything. If we’d gone and done that during first semester she totally would have screamed about it, but by second semester she was better.”

Blake poured water down the back of Yang’s hair, running her fingers through it in the process. “Second semester Weiss was actually kinda great.”

There was no immediate response, just a sigh as Blake repeated the rinsing process.  

When Yang did speak again, it was soft and somber. “I hope she’s okay.”

Blake didn’t have a response to that – she knew Weiss probably wasn’t.

“Maybe when things get settled down, we could go to Atlas and get her.”

Yang immediately tensed. “You heard what my dad said, Blake. The CCT is down. There’s no travel – no contact with the outside world.”

“I know but…”

“No,” Yang jerked upright and her hair fell out of Blake’s hands. “Can we just…finish this, please.”

Blake knew she’d pushed too much. “Of course.” The apology was on her tongue, but it was lost in the sloshing of the water as Yang leaned back again to allow Blake to finish.

She just wished she could stop making so many mistakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you again, as always, to LightInside for all the wonderful beta work.

_Two weeks._

_It had only been two weeks at Beacon and already Blake was up in the middle of the night and hiding in the bathroom._

_Nightmares were nothing new to her – though it was a bit more comforting to not wake up lying next to the person who usually haunted her dreams._

_Though it didn’t feel much better to have her new safe space invaded by him._

_Beacon had been quite nice actually – aside from trying to adjust to living with Yang and Ruby (who could be downright wild) and Weiss (who could be downright awful) – it had been a good two weeks._

_Now, Blake was just tired and scared and couldn’t stop her heart from beating so hard it felt like it was going to burst from her chest._

_The bathroom was chilly compared to the comfort of her bed. Weiss was used to the cold weather in Atlas and didn’t see anything wrong with opening a window before bed. Blake didn’t mind much when she was curled up under her blankets, but now the chill in the air was starting to make her fingers and toes feel like ice._

_Reaching up, she wiped a tear from her eye and contemplated crawling back into bed. She’d come in here thinking she might throw up from the boulder sized knot in her stomach, but after a few dry heaves she knew it wouldn’t amount to anything._

_Instead, it would just sit and fester all night and make her day tomorrow a miserable train-wreck of exhaustion._

_“This a private party?”_

_Blake jumped, she couldn’t help herself. The only time she was ever interrupted during moments like this was Adam and usually he was telling her to stop stressing so much. Of course, that’s because she’d always lie to him that she was just worried about their next mission._

_Adam taught Blake how to lie in the most self-destructive way possible._

_This time though, it wasn’t Adam – it was her new partner._

_Yang was clearly fresh out of bed. Her hair was everywhere and her tanktop was riding up her stomach, showing off a good amount of abs that Blake hated because no real person should have abs like that. Her eyes were half open as she rubbed them, but she had a smile on her face – something Blake couldn’t understand._

_“Just…needed a minute to breathe.” She watched Yang nod, hoping that might be enough to satisfy her. Perhaps it was, but instead of leaving, she sat down against the wall across from her. “You don’t have to do that.” She said, hoping her tone would convey that she wanted to be alone._

_“I know,” Yang shrugged. “But we’re partners, so it’s kinda part of my job to make sure you’re okay.”_

_Blake rolled her eyes but knew the bathroom was dark enough that Yang wouldn’t see._

_Still, she_ could _see just fine and could see that Yang was looking at her with genuine concern – head tilted to the side and eyes now wide and waiting for anything that might come._

_Yang was very much an older sister._

_“Just had a bad dream is all,” she finally said – unable to take those lilac eyes looking at her so expectantly._

_“Must have been a doozy to bring you in here in the middle of the night.” Blake couldn’t even begin to explain the depth of her nightmare. “This isn’t my first nightmare duty though, Ruby used to get them a lot when we were little.”_

_Blake couldn’t help but push the change I conversation. “Oh?”_

_A nod. “Yep, she used to have nightmares about Grimm chasing her all the time – she used to be scared of monsters. She’d wake me up by crawling into my bed crying and cuddling up with me. Took me longer than I’d like to admit not to get upset with her about it. But eventually I learned to appreciate her trusting me with that kinda thing.”_

_The way Yang talked about her sister was incredibly endearing. The care in her voice and the way she smiled as she spoke – it reminded Blake of her own parents._

_Yet another painful memory on a night she wished could just end._

_“She doesn’t seem to have that issue anymore.” Blake pointed out, suddenly realizing she’d uncurled from the ball she’d been in earlier._

_Yang let out a soft laugh. “Nah, once my Uncle Qrow started teaching her about hunters and killing those monsters – she started to enjoy the nightmares I think.” Blake couldn’t help but smile a little. Everyone had their reasons for being here – even Weiss had reasons Blake knew she was keeping hidden. In a way, those reasons were what connected them all. Secrets and stories that may never come out, but that gave them all a similar goal. “I always kind of missed being her nightmare hero.”_

_Blake couldn’t help but roll her eyes…again. “I don’t need a nightmare hero, Yang.”_

_“I know,” Yang said through another laugh. “But if you ever need a nightmare_ buddy _– don’t hesitate to wake me up.”_

_She couldn’t really say anything else to that and she didn’t – instead she took the hand Yang offered when she stood and went back to bed._

* * *

Blake hated waiting.

Worse than that, she hated not knowing.

It was a part of why she enjoyed stealth so much – she could sneak into a situation that mattered and listen. She didn’t have to wait, she didn’t have to worry. Information was power, and within the White Fang it was almost like currency.

It was easier then, it was all about survival.

Now, it was about emotion and a genuine concern for two people she cared about deeply.

When Qrow had found her outside while she was working out and told her that Ruby was awake, Blake nearly knocked him down in the doorway trying to get to her.

Unfortunately, even then she was too late and Ruby was in the guest room with her sister and Blake didn’t feel like she belonged in that moment. Of course, she was good enough at being quiet that she _could_ have lingered in the doorway without either of them knowing and listen.

But she didn’t, she respected them too much – cared about them too much. This was their moment and if she was important enough to know then one of them would tell her.

Until then, she’d sit in the room she’d been sharing with Ruby and wait.

Ruby being awake was wonderful, but Blake couldn’t help but worry that perhaps her place here wasn’t needed anymore. Ruby could handle most of what Blake had already been doing for Yang and Tai probably didn’t need yet another mouth to feed.

When the bedroom door finally opened again, Ruby stood in a pair of blue pajamas wiping tears from her eyes. The sight made Blake want to race over and hug her but, as she usually was, Ruby was faster and suddenly there was a pair of arms wrapped around Blake’s neck.

It was one of the best hugs of Blake’s entire life and one she hadn’t realized she needed until this very moment. Ruby squeezed Blake so tightly and Blake couldn’t help but do the same.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Ruby said with a sniffle.

Instinctively, Blake found herself running a hand through Ruby’s hair – trying to calm her down. “You too, you had everyone worried with all your heroics.” As they pulled apart, Blake held Ruby at arms-length and reached up to push a bit of hair out of her face. “Do you feel okay? Like…any pain or…anything? Were you hurt?”

“I’m a little sore all over, but nothing terrible.”

Blake nodded, not wanting to let go. “What happened up on that tower?”

This made Ruby chuckle sadly. “I wish I knew or at least…I wish someone would tell me. My dad and Qrow are being weird, but I guess…I did something. I don’t know, something to do with my silver eyes.”

“Your…eyes?”

Ruby shrugged. “Magical silver eyes, or at least that’s what Qrow says. None of it makes sense.”

“Oh…” Blake suddenly remembered something she’d read years earlier – one of her many books had mentioned something about silver eyed warriors. It was a fairy tale – like the golden sword of Vale and the story of the four Maidens. “I’ve read about that but…your uncle says it’s real?”

Another shrug. “I suppose, I—I really don’t know. But I’m here and Cinder didn’t kill me so obviously something happened.”

“Cinder?” Tears immediately formed in Ruby’s eyes but she wiped them away quickly, almost as if she’d hoped Blake wouldn’t see them. “Sorry,” Blake frowned. “I didn’t know Cinder was behind it.” She barely knew Cinder. She was just a mysterious and arrogant Haven student at Beacon for the tournament. Certainly, she and her friends were very skilled in combat as their matches in the tournament had shown, but Blake never would have imagined anything like that.

Ruby had a stoic look on her face as she nodded. “She’s awful,” Ruby was angry – a rare sight. That expression suddenly shifted to something sadder. “So…Yang said Weiss was gone. Did you see her?”

“I did,” Blake sighed. “She really didn’t want to go.”

“I’d imagine not,” Ruby said, as if she knew something Blake didn’t. “I wish I could talk to her.”

“Me too.”

The conversation seemed to stop with mention of Weiss as Ruby looked wistfully at the floor – her mind in another place.

Blake was about to say something, but Ruby suddenly started swaying a bit on her feet. “Whoa,” Blake held her upright. “Looks like you need more bedrest.”

Her fearless leader offered up the most adorable pout. “I’m fine.”

“Uh huh,” Blake stood up with a smile and kept a hold of Ruby. “You’re falling over,” she said as she guided Ruby to bed. “You rest and I’ll stay in here with you and read a book for a while.”

Ruby seemed to resist more and more as she crawled into her comfy bed and Blake pulled up the blankets over her. When her head hit the pillow, Ruby let out a slow breath. “Why didn’t Yang want her bed?” Ruby asked as she blinked slowly.

It was a question Blake had asked herself multiple times. “I don’t know,” she answered as she sat back down on Yang’s bed and picked up the book she’d borrowed from Taiyang. “She’s dealing with a lot – maybe she just wanted more privacy.” When she looked back over at Ruby, she was already asleep.

* * *

Having Ruby around did prove to bring a little more life to the house. The next time she woke up she had more energy and felt better – good enough that she helped her dad make dinner and even offered to take it to Yang in bed.

Blake wasn’t sure if Ruby handled Yang better than she did, but when Ruby came back she wasn’t carrying a tray of food with her, so she’d managed to get Yang to at least pretend she was eating.

If Ruby had convinced Yang to eat, then that was wonderful, but it also fueled Blake’s concern that maybe she wasn’t needed here anymore. Maybe she was never needed here at all.

Still, as she sat at the kitchen table and listened to Ruby and her dad talk about a whole lot of little things, Blake could only think about Yang. Yang, who was sitting alone in her room and wouldn’t say more than a few words to anyone who tried.

The rational part of Blake told her that this would pass eventually. Though Yang may never be the same, she’d get over this and find a way to function again.

Then there was a voice in the back of her head that told her Yang was broken forever and that it was her fault for bringing a monster like Adam Taurus into their lives. That same voice told her how selfish it was to think it was okay to let her guard down and actually care about people with him out there.

Like he said, everything she loved, and that started with Yang Xiao Long.

“Blake?” Ruby called out softly. “You okay?” She asked so genuinely and Blake felt a strange warmth come over her. Ruby always had a way of making you feel cared for.

“Did she eat?” Blake asked, gesturing to the hallway.

“She better have,” Tai chimed in with a soft laugh. “I don’t make bacon mac and cheese for just anyone.”

Blake couldn’t help but smile a little – Taiyang reminded her so much of her own dad. She missed her parents dearly and with everything that had happened, she wished she could contact them.

If she ever found the time and if the CTT was ever up and running again, she would. Maybe she’d take Yang and Ruby with her – go see her parents and then go get Weiss. Then they could set out and get back to doing the good things they’d done before.

“I’m gonna go see how she’s doing.” Blake stood up from the table, feeling bad for having barely touched her food, but Taiyang didn’t seem to care. “Maybe she wants more,” she added, though knew that was unlikely.

Still, Blake just wanted to see her and make sure she was doing okay.

The walk to Yang’s room had started to become very routine. Blake knew every picture lining the hallway and which spots on the floor would creek under her footsteps. The one difference was that Yang’s door was wide open now as opposed to normally being closed.   
  
With no need to knock, Blake hesitated and stopped just outside. She peeked in and saw Yang not only out of bed, but picking up clothes off the floor. Her face was still somber, but she was actually doing things and when she saw the tray of food sitting on the bedside table, it was noticeably empty.   
  
Yang was up and she was moving and Blake just wanted to watch her.   
  
It was a strange feeling of comfort to see Yang like this, even if it wasn’t much, it gave her a sense of safety she hadn’t felt in weeks. It was something Yang had done for her the moment they met – she made Blake’s world bright, without even trying. Things had felt a lot darker lately, but even just this small change was reason enough to think that things might be okay.   
  
Not wanting to disturb Yang as she started to put her clothes away, even as she held a pair of sweatpants between her teeth so she could open a drawer, Blake started to back away.   
  
“You’re not as sneaky as you think.” Yang’s voice made Blake stop dead in her tracks and look back into the room only to find a pair of violet eyes looking back at her. “Plus, there’s no sneaking around with these floorboards.” Yang emphasized her sentence by pressing her foot down on a particularly old spot that groaned under the pressure.     
  
Not wanting to waste an opportunity to talk, Blake walked back into the room with her head down and a smile on her face. “Guess I’m not as much of a ninja as a I thought I was, huh?” Blake had never referred to herself as a ninja – but was something Yang called her constantly.   
  
“You are,” Yang said as she sat back down on her bed, legs still hanging off the side. “I just have a sense for you.”   
  
Blake felt her stomach do some kind of ridiculous flip – it was the kind of sensation she’d only read about.   
  
“You ate all your food.” She said, gesturing to the bowl.   
  
Yang shrugged. “Could only do the no eating thing for so long.”   
  
“That’s good,” Blake took another step further into the room – a bit like approaching a frightened animal, she didn’t want to scare away Yang’s good mood. “I could get you more, if you want? Your dad made a lot.”   
  
“He always does that,” Yang smiled just a bit, it was beautiful. “Dad figured out how to cook a few things, but never figured out portions.” She sighed, still seeming content.  “You know what they don’t tell you about recovering from a serious injury?” Yang asked and Blake shook her head but looked on intently. “It’s boring.” She said with a soft smile and Blake couldn’t help but laugh.   
  
“There’s only so much excitement out that window I’d imagine,” Blake gestured beyond Yang’s bed and Yang turned to look out that way.   
  
They remained silent again for a while, but Blake never felt like her presence was unwelcome.   
  
Eventually, she moved further into the room and leaned against a dresser on the far wall that allowed her to maintain a view of Yang.   
  
When Yang finally spoke again, her voice was soft. “Why’d you come with me?”   
  
That was not a question Blake was prepared for at all. “What?” She asked, simply to buy herself more time to think of an answer.   
  
“After everything that happened I just…I didn’t think you’d follow me all the way here like this.”   
  
Blake frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”   
  
Yang shrugged as she curled into herself a little. “I don’t know,” she laughed bitterly. “Guess I’m just used to people leaving.”   
  
_Her mother._   
  
Blake would never forget the day Yang told her about her mother – in a lot of ways, it was the reason she was here. The laser pointer that Yang used to drag Blake out of the darkness and shed that warm light into her life.   
  
As dramatic at it sounded, that day saved Blake’s life.   
  
“Well…I’m here,” she smiled as brightly as she could. “And I’ll be here for as long as you need me.”   
  
Sniffling just a bit, Yang brushed at her eyes and nodded, her own smile soft and beautiful. “Thank you, Blake. Really I—thank you.”   
  
Her heart soared and for the first time since she came here, Blake felt confident she’d made the right choice.   
  
She just wished she could find the courage to thank Yang, to tell her so many things.   
  
“You don’t have to thank me, Yang. I’m your partner,” that word felt so weak. “You…you did so much for me. We take care of each other.”   
  
And she would. No matter what, Blake would take care of Yang.  


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's block is the actual worst.  
> Sorry if this isn't up to par. It's been a rough six months lol.

“Hey Ruby? What’s Yang’s favorite meal?” She stopped the cart as they stepped through the doors of the Patch Super Store and Blake was awed at how massive this place was.

Just walking in, the ceilings were so high up and more than that, the shelves seemed to climb to the rafters.

When Tai had asked the girls to go shopping for them, Blake was hesitant to leave Yang. It made her feel a little clingy and desperate, but she’d come here _for_ Yang so to leave at all without her seemed kind of wrong.

Fortunately, Yang had a good morning and actually encouraged Blake to go, to get out of the house and stretch her legs – which did sound nice and Ruby didn’t seem all that interested in going alone.

Tai was busy on the phone with his work and dealing with some of the fallout from the CTT being down and with three mouths to now feed, food was scarce.

So, Ruby and Blake were sent to buy groceries and Blake had a few plans of her own, plans that hung on the question she’d asked Ruby.

A question that seemed to have her fearless leader perplexed. “I guess…hot dogs and spaghetti.”

Blake wasn’t sure she’d ever been more disappointed. “Really?”

Ruby chuckled. “You expected something more elegant from my sister?”

“I guess not,” Blake said as they turned down the first isle and Ruby pulled out their list. “I just…wanted to do something for her and thought I might cook up a favorite meal. It’s easy, if nothing else, right?”

Ruby nodded as she put not one, but two huge blocks of cheese into the cart. “Yep, hard to mess up the classic dogs and noodles. That’s probably why Yang likes it so much, she made it a lot when we were little.”

“Yeah, how come Yang never cooked for us at Beacon?”

“Hmm,” Ruby hummed as they turned to the next isle – the size of this place and the portions was consistently amazing. Who needed a forty-eight pack of microwave soups? “I don’t think Yang ever really _liked_ cooking – it’s just something she kinda did for a while.”

“Oh,” Blake frowned, unsure if she should change the subject. She knew where this conversation was going. “Well Weiss probably wouldn’t have let her anyway.”

Instead of a lighthearted comment that took away the tension, Ruby frowned instead and Blake realized she’d stepped out of one bad topic for her leader and into an even fresher wound.

To say that Ruby had been hung up on the details of what happened to Weiss would be a massive understatement. In fact, Ruby had asked multiple times for the details of Weiss’ removal from Vale. Blake wished she’d had more to offer her, but it had all happened so fast that there wasn’t a lot of detail to give.

Weiss was gone, back to Atlas and traveling between kingdoms now was nearly impossible. Blake missed her as much as anyone, but she knew it might be a long time before they ever saw her again.

_If_ they ever saw her again.

Though, that wasn’t something she’d express with Ruby, who tensed up at the mere mention of her partner.

“What about you?” Blake asked, desperate for more conversation. “You never cooked? Yang never taught you anything?”

Ruby smiled, thankfully. “Nah, I didn’t have the attention span for it. Sitting around, waiting for things to cook – unless it’s cake or cookies I just don’t have the time for it.”

“Too busy swinging your scythe around?” Blake teased as they moved to the frozen foods and Ruby immediately grabbed two boxes of ice cream bars.

“Exactly!” She said cheerily as she tossed them into the cart and they continued on their way.

The rest of their shopping trip was simple enough. They picked up the items on the list, Ruby picked up plenty that weren’t and they paid and made their way back home.

It was another taste of the simple Patch life that Blake found herself enjoying far more than she’d ever have expected.

The problem with that was the voice in the back of her head telling her that it was all for nothing. That eventually, the tragedy that was her entire life would eventually come back to haunt her. The White Fang was still out there hurting their own people. Whoever had destroyed Beacon was probably setting up to attack again and Adam Taurus was no doubt coming for her and, as he said, everything she loved.

Which was everything she was around right now. This family and these people – they were so special and had let her into their home without a second thought.

Unfortunately, Blake’s heart wouldn’t let her actually enjoy it. Instead she was riddled with worry about Adam coming for her and guilt about not seeing her own parents in so long.

For as much as Blake enjoyed being here, it was hard to quiet the voices that told her she shouldn’t be. Perhaps it was selfish, her reasoning certainly felt selfish. She was here because she was in love with her teammate. As much as she’d tried to deny and, at times, run as far from as it she could, she was in love with Yang.

How could she not be? After everything Yang had done for her – Yang was the reason for all of this. She was why Blake had such a close group of friends, she was why Blake woke up every morning excited for the day.

She was why Blake trusted again and why she didn’t have nightmares like before.

Yang was the opposite of everything Blake had once believed was love. She was kind and caring, the type of person that would encourage someone to chase after what they wanted, even if it had nothing to do with her.

Everything about Adam was about taking away Blake’s individuality – making her _belong_ to him and making her believe that was what she wanted.

With Yang, it felt like there wasn’t anything she couldn’t do because she had this bright, vibrant partner there to pick her up if she fell.

That’s what made being here so scary, because she loved it all so much and she was terrified that Adam would show up and keep his promise.

For as much as she hated him, he did know her and he knew Blake was in love with Yang.

That made him dangerous.

As they pulled up to Tai’s house, Blake realized the car ride had been quiet. For as much as Blake had been brooding the entire way home, it appeared Ruby was doing the same. When she pulled the car to a stop, she glanced over at her leader in the passenger seat.

Ruby looked different, even though it had only been a few weeks, the fall had changed her too. It was subtle things, not nearly as impactful and noticeable as Yang, but Ruby often seemed to lose herself in thought and spent a lot of time on her scroll.

Blake wasn’t sure what she was doing, there was no contact with anyone outside of Vale, but still, she was up to something.

“We’re back,” Blake said, unsure if Ruby was even paying attention. She nodded just a bit and reached to open her door. “Hey,” Blake stopped her. “Are you okay?”

Ruby looked back at her with a bright smile. Too bright. “I’m fine, just—“

“Ruby,” Blake put a hand on her shoulder. “You can’t bury your feelings from an expert at burying their feelings.”

Her smile faded and she let go of the door handle. “Just…a lot on my mind I guess. Everything is different now and I’m…not sure where to go from here. I feel fine now, all the affects from…whatever happened that night are gone but we’re just…sitting here and not doing anything.”

Being stagnant was hard for Ruby, even in the most minor of circumstances, she liked to be active and working towards something. The last few weeks had been as quiet and simple as possible – a stark contrast to the life they’d all had at Beacon. Every day was packed with classes and training that was only broken up by the occasional fight with wild Grimm and murderous robots.

Now, days didn’t seem to start until well after nine in the morning.

“What do you want to do?” Blake asked, genuinely curious. There was definitely a part of her that wanted to be active in this fight again too – knowing there was still so much danger out there. But she had no idea where to start and wasn’t about to start without Yang.

Unfortunately, Ruby seemed about as lost as she was and shrugged with a heavy frown. “I don’t know. We can’t travel anywhere with the CCT down, at least…not easily and I can’t talk to anybody. I just wish I knew everyone was okay.”

It clicked for Blake a little, at least part of what was upsetting Ruby so much. “Hey,” she squeezed Ruby’s shoulder comfortingly. “She’s tough, okay? Weiss is as defiant as they come – she’ll be okay until we can get back to her.”

Ruby nodded, still frowning a little. “I know, I just wish everything would hurry up so we could get back to it.”

“How about we start by making some dinner and then maybe tomorrow, if you’re up for it, we can train a little?”

_That_ seemed to perk Ruby up. “Really? That would be awesome! I’ve been missing Crescent Rose so much.”

“It’s a deal.”

* * *

The rest of the day came and went and it was one of the better days Blake had had in a while. She made everyone hot dogs and noodles, and even though Taiyang didn’t seem all that excited, he ate it with his girls and Yang enjoyed it enough that she went for a second helping.

It was nice to _do_ something for them instead of always feeling like she was eating their food. The rest of the evening was peaceful – Ruby spent most of it on her scroll and Taiyang watched television while Yang and Blake sat together on the couch.

Sitting next to Yang used to be the most natural thing in the world – it came with the parameters of being someone’s partner at a hunting academy. You did everything with your partner and that included being seated next to them in every class and training session.

So, when Blake sat next to Yang in the living room of Yang’s home, she didn’t expect it to be so…different.

Long after Taiyang had gone to bed and Ruby had shuffled off to her room, Blake and Yang remained on the couch, watching something on television that Blake wasn’t even paying attention to.

Selfishly, all she could focus on was Yang – Yang in her comfortable tank top and baggy pants. Yang with her hair up, exposing her neck and those brilliant shoulder muscles. Yang, who smelled like honey and something indescribable.

Yang, who was the most beautiful woman in the whole world – who apparently made Blake sound like every horrible romance novel she’d ever read.

“They’re making another one,” Yang said and Blake realized she’d completely forgotten where she was or what she was doing because when she followed Yang’s eyes back to the television, there was a commercial for some random video game with shooting and flying in space and… _blue_ people. “I loved that game so much.”

“Yeah?” Blake pressed, enjoying the little smile that played on Yang’s lips.

She nodded. “They released the last one a few years ago – I spent so many hours playing it. Ruby would sit and watch. We wasted so many days with that game.”

The contented way she spoke made Blake smile. “Doesn’t sound like wasted time to me.”

“We didn’t think so either,” Yang said with a laugh. “Wow,” Yang sighed as the commercial ended. “Guess I’ll have to pass this one up.”

“How come?”

Yang held up what was left of her right arm. “I was good, Blake – but not that good.”

Blake felt her heart sink. “Oh…”

“Aw come on, I’m only foolin’.”

It was a joke. It was supposed to be a joke – but Blake couldn’t find a way to laugh – not even a fake laugh.

“Yang,” she breathed, suddenly feeling like she was drowning. There were so many things Blake had thought about when it came to Yang and that night. Things Yang had lost, things they’d all lost. But something as small as this felt like the tipping point. “I’m so—“

“Blake,” Yang’s voice was a bit sharp. “Stop apologizing.” Blake felt her mouth snap shut. “I told you…it’s not your fault. I _was_ making a joke. I’m…trying,” she said, gesturing her arm out again. “It sucks and it still hurts and it’s scary and hard but…I don’t regret it.”

“I do,” Blake said, her voice breaking.

“You shouldn’t,”

“But I do!” She shouted a bit louder, suddenly afraid she might draw more attention onto a moment that was only meant for them. “I hate that you were hurt. I hate that any of it happened but I hate it so much that you were hurt.”

As she stared into those lilac eyes, they suddenly flittered down to Blake’s stomach and back up again. “Ditto.” Blake’s hand instinctively landed on the scar on her stomach. It was nothing compared to what Yang had lost. She considered it insignificant and, in a way, her own fault for thinking she could throw herself at Adam so foolishly. “But we survived, right? We’re still here?”

Blake wiped furiously at her eyes and nodded – marveled by Yang’s continued strength when she had every reason to be the lowest of them all. “We are.”

This earned a bright smile from her partner and Blake felt the overwhelming urge to close the distance between them and kiss her. It was something she’d felt in the back of her mind for a while now – ever since that day in the library when Yang found her and pulled her out of that familiar darkness.

Typical as Blake’s decisions always were, she denied herself the chance to actually chase Yang in such a way. Things were good between them and Yang was such an important part of what helped Blake stay positive through each day. She didn’t want to risk losing that by making a rash decision that might scare off Yang entirely.

Still, she felt like she needed to do something – some kind of gesture to show Yang that she was here and committed. Perhaps to prove that to herself more than to Yang, but she was here and she was glad she was here. Even if it terrified her.

That’s when she saw the controller under the coffee table.

“Show me,” Blake said as she picked it up off the floor and looked over the buttons. “I’ll play and you…tell me what to do.”

Yang furrowed her brows. “You hate these games.”

“I don’t hate them, I just don’t understand them,” it was true – it would kind of go against all of her beliefs to hate something she knew nothing about. “You said this game was important to you and…I’d like to experience it.”

“Really?” Yang asked and Blake nodded, despite how awkward the controller felt in her hand, she wanted to do this. “O—okay.” Yang did something and the TV went black. “Just push the little button in the middle of the controller, with the big S and we can play.”

Yang seemed so excited, more so than she had in weeks and Blake had never had a sweeter victory in all her life.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts?


End file.
